As the sun was just cresting over the hill Kagome was awoke with a heavy object landing on her. Then heard a sweet little voice "Good morning, Kagome-chan! Get up and dressed so we can go eat." Kagome pushed back the covers and moved to the edge of the futon to stand up. Once up she walked over and behind the shoji screen and took off the yukata and got dressed back in her blue dress she wore when she was brought to the castle then slipped on her shoes then walked to Rin.
"Well, let's head down. But you'll have to lead." Kagome took Rin's hand and they walked to the door and opened it and walked out into the hallway to go eat. Once they got to the dinning room door and opened it Kagome saw Sesshoumaru sitting at the head of a long low table. Rin walked over and sat in her spot on Sesshoumaru's right. Kagome walked in and walked to the long low table and not knowing where to sit she sat on the left of Sesshoumaru. All of a sudden there was a crash on the floor and she heard a "Aaaahhhh!" and then whispers.
Then the dinning room door opened and the green toad known as Jaken walked in and over to the table.
"What are you doing, you filthy wench? How dare you sit in that spot and defile it!" Jaken raised his staff of heads to strike her with it. When the staff was stopped just inches from hitting her. She looked up and saw Sesshoumaru holding Jaken by the shirt.
"Show respect to our guest." Sesshoumaru left Jaken drop to the floor.
"But my lord NO One sits in that spot but the future Lady of the Western Lands. When you take a mate." Jaken said.
"Oh I'm sorry Sesshoumaru, I did not know. I'll move so there's no problem." Kagome went to stand up but felt a clawed hand on her shoulder.
"You will be served were you sit, Kagome. True this spot is for the mate of the lord of this castle but I have not a mate as of yet. I as being lord of this castle say they will serve you where you sit. Jaken that is all you may leave and wait for me in my study. We'll speak of this later." Jaken bowed and left the dinning hall as did the other servants. Kagome looked over to Sesshoumaru and tried to smile.
"Rin thinks Sesshoumaru-sama and Kagome-chan look pretty sitting by each other." Rin said. Kagome's face became red in the cheeks with embarrassment.
"Rin, after you and Kagome eat go out to the garden and spend time together for today Kagome returns to her friends. I'll join you after business." Sesshoumaru stood up and left the room to head to his study.
"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin said sadly. After they ate they walked out to the garden. When they got to the garden Kagome and Rin played the game hide and go seek for a bit and was currently playing tag. Kagome was it when out of the corner of her eye she saw the color of white flowing in the slight breeze. When she looked she saw Sesshoumaru sit under a magnolia tree and was watching them. Then felt Rin come up behind her and tapped her and Kagome turned around fast and Rin squealed and ran with Kagome right behind her. Rin lost her balance as she was running and fell. Kagome saw her at the last minute and tried to stop but fell on her hands and knees so she would not land directly on Rin. Unaware that her dress was riding close to her hips showing her under garments to the golden eyes of Sesshoumaru before she raised up and sat back on her knees and started ticking Rin "Oh, you think that funny don't you!" Kagome said.
"Stop, Kagome." Rin laughed. Kagome stopped and stood up and dusted off.
"Rin, I'm going to sit down a bit. You go play." Kagome walked over to the tree that Sesshoumaru was sitting by and sat on his right side.
"Does Rin ever make you tired with all her energy?" Kagome asked.
"No, but Jaken does." Sesshoumaru answered as he watched Rin.
"Sesshoumaru, I was wondering something for a long time. What does your tail feel like and may I touch the crescent moon on your forehead to see what it feels like? I know you don't like humans touching you and I understand if you don't want me to." Kagome asked. She watched as he slowly took in a deep breath and let it out and made a slight nod. So Kagome raised up onto her knees and slowly reached out to touch his tail. Her hand started shaking as it got closer to him. So to get it over with he took her hand in his and placed her hand on his tail that was wrapped around his shoulder and then left go of her hand.
"Wow, it's so soft. Do you ever get to hot with it in the summer time?" She asked. He did not say a thing but shook his head no. His eyes drifted shut a bit as he felt her fingers work their way up and down his tail. Then they opened as he felt her fingers move to his shoulder then to his hair. He watched as she moved and now was on her knees in front of him as she took a deep breath and reached out to touch the crescent moon and traced it with her finger. Then she trailed her fingers down to his ear as they locked their eyes together as she moved her fingers to his cheek while she started to speak "Sesshoumaru, I'm sorry about last night; when I was wearing your yukata and I reached up and kissed you on your cheek." She whispered as she felt him take ahold of her hand and the space between their faces got smaller and smaller. Right when their lips were about to touch it was broken by a little voice cry out.
"Is Sesshoumaru-sama and Kagome-chan going to kiss? Could Rin watch?" Rin asked. With that both Sesshoumaru and Kagome moved away while Kagome's cheeks turned red.
"No Rin, your Sesshoumaru-sama and I weren't going to kiss." Kagome said as her heart tried to slow down.
"Rin, come say your good-byes then head into the castle for it's time I return Kagome to her friends." Sesshoumaru said.
"Good-bye, Kagome-chan." Rin said sadly as she wrapped her arms around Kagome.
"Good-bye, Rin. We'll see each other again I'm sure.But listen you must not bug your Sesshoumaru-sama everyday to see me alright. You must be a good girl for him and Jaken! Can you do that?" Kagome asked.
"Yes, Rin can do that." Rin sniffled.
"That's a good, girl. Now come to me and I'll give you a hug." Kagome hugged Rin and kissed her forehead. "Now, head to the castle as Sesshoumaru-sama said"
"Rin, tell Jaken I'll return soon!" With that Sesshoumaru picked up the bow and quiver of arrows and formed the cloud under his feet. "Come, it's time." He held out his hand and she took it and stepped onto the cloud and they were off into the sky and heading to the village.
Kaede's Hut
Inuyasha was pacing back and forth fuming because Kagome did not come back last night and has not showed up yet.
"Where is the wench? She knows we have shards to hunt. If it was not for her we could have been out already looking for shards." He growled.
"She probably lost all sense of time with playing with the little girl, Rin. You know how the child and Kagome get along together. They are just like how Shippou and Kagome are when they get to spend sometime together." Miroku tried to point out.
"You can find out when she gets here. But in the meantime we need to prepare because I feel a strong youkai aura coming this way." Sango stood up and walked over and out the door with her hand on her boomerang and a now transformed Kirara next to her along with Miroku coming out and standing next to her with his hand on the prayer beads ready to pull them off to use his wind tunnel. Then there was Inuyasha with his hand on the hilt of his sword. They were standing there for what seemed like hours but was only like ten minutes before the youkai who was Sesshoumaru landed with Kagome standing in front of him.
"Kagome, you're back." Shippou ran and jumped onto Kagome's shoulder hugging her neck. "Sango, Miroku, and I were worried that Sesshoumaru might of killed you because you did not come back last night. All Inuyasha was worried about was hunting for the shards." Shippou said.
"As you can see, Shippou, I am fine." Kagome hugged Shippou.
"About time, you showed up. So what did you tell my half brother so he would not kill you and let you stay at his castle over night?" Inuyasha growled keeping his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"You got it wrong, Inuyasha. It's what she did for him to not have him kill her. After all whores know how to use their bodies to persuade men to do anything!" Kikyo stated.
"Does this Sesshoumaru presume that you dead miko know by experience of such things? For this Sesshoumaru smells the scent of the hanyou mixed with yours and by the scent of it, it has been less than a day old that you rutted with him and it's not the scent of my half brother." Then he looked at the hanyou "And you, Inuyasha would be advised to warn your dead miko to watch her tongue for it won't take much to return her to that which she came forth from." With that he turned to leave the village when he stopped and handed Kagome back her bow and quiver of arrows as Kagome's voice rang out.
"Sesshoumaru, thank you again for me seeing your ward again and your hospitality." Kagome smiled at Sesshoumaru then watched him give a slight nod and he left. After Sesshoumaru was gone Sango and Miroku came up to her.
"Tell us, what it was like in Mr. Iceberg's castle!" Sango linked arms with Kagome as Kagome, Shippou, and Miroku headed to the hut.
"Now, that you're back we can go looking for shards!" Inuyasha growled out. "HEY, I'M TALKING TO YOU HERE!" He noticed no one was listening.
"You will not believe this but there are beautiful gardens with many different flowers and flowering trees that it smells so heavenly. The room I was in was in the royal wing what that mean for the reason I was placed in that room I have no idea but the room was huge and the futon could easily hold four people side by side. The dinning room was all I could say is wow to describe it. I was treated as a honored guest. But there was a argument during dinner when I sat to his left next to him which was the spot where the Lady of the lands would sit. I did not know and sat down there and the servants all started whispering and the green toad Jaken was going to hit me with his staff of heads as he called me many different things but Sesshoumaru stopped him from hitting me and I said I would move and Sesshoumaru put his hand on my shoulder and told me to stay put and that his servants would serve me where I was sitting. He said since he had no mate that I could sit there as a guest." Kagome told them.
"You mean, Mr. Iceberg has a garden!" Sango said with shock in her voice.
"What else, Kagome?" Shippou asked.
"Not much, he walked me to my room personally and there was a yukata there I put it on behind a shoji screen. I asked him who's it belonged to because it was hanging off of me. You could not see my hands or feet and I had to hold it closed at my chest. Then, I said good night and he left and I walked to the futon and laid down and went to sleep. The morning came, Rin and I ate then went to the garden and played then here I am back here and that's it." She answered. Kagome and Shippou, Miroku and Sango went into the hut. Once inside Kagome put Shippou down and walked to her bag and dug out some fresh clothes and shampoo and soap and stood up and walked towards the door as Inuyasha and Kikyo walked in.
"Where do you think you're going?" Inuyasha spat out.
"It's called I'm going to the hot spring to take a bath. You should try it sometime Inuyasha!" Kagome moved passed Inuyasha and Kikyo as Sango ran up to her.
"I need to bathe as well I'll come with you." Sango followed Kagome.
"Aahh, this feels good!" Kagome settled down into the water along side Sango.
"Kagome, you never did say who's yukata you wore to sleep in." Sango asked as she leaned against a boulder.
"Sesshoumaru let me borrow one of his many yukata's to sleep in." Kagome turned and grabbed the soap and started washing herself.
"The yukata was SESSHOUMARU'S!" Sango blurted out. "You're telling me that the Sesshoumaru who's known to hate humans except the child, Rin, let you wear something of his to sleep in!" Sango blurted out.
"Yes, I was shocked as well." Then she got a smile on her face with a puzzled look as well.
"What is it?" Sango asked.
"Oh, nothing just something else that happened this morning. Well, we better head back. We have a big day or few days ahead of us starting at the crack of dawn." Kagome stood up and grabbed the towel and dried off and put her clothes on as did Sango. Kagome picked up the soap and shampoo and towels and they both headed back to the hut. "Sango, where's Kaede? I saw, she wasn't in her hut."
"She is at one of the other huts; helping a woman in child birth. She should be back either late or in the morning. What else happened, while you were with Sesshoumaru?" Sango and Kagome continued walking.
"I just said I was curious for a while what his tail felt like and it I could touch it and the crescent moon on his forehead." She smiled.
"Did he let you?" Sango turned her head and looked at Kagome.
"Yes and his tail is really soft as well as the skin under the crescent moon on his forehead." They continued talking as they walked to the hut. When they reached the hut they walked in and Kagome went to her bag and put the soap and shampoo away and hung up the towels to dry. Then pulled a sleeping mat out and a blanket and laid down to sleep so she would not wake Shippou that was laying in her sleeping bag.
Sesshomaru's Castle
When Sesshoumaru came back to his castle he headed to his chamber to think of the events that occurred while the miko was at his castle. He thought to himself "Why did I allow the miko to touch me? Even though she did no harm and the feeling of warmth and gentle tingling sensation went through my body when she worked her fingers in my tail then touching my crescent moon and stripes." He said as he paced back and forth. "Why did this Sesshoumaru move towards the miko's lips? Why would this Sesshoumaru want to kiss a human? Could it be I wanted to see if her lips were as soft as her fingers were on my skin?" He stopped as the color of white caught his eye laying at the foot of his futon. He walked over and picked it up. It was his inner yukata. "This Sesshoumaru can still smell the miko's scent as if she had just taken it off. Her scent of spring rain and honeysuckle." He voiced as he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath of the scent on the outfit as he took it and placed it in with the others in his closet then striped down and put his inner haori and hakama next to his futon along with his swords. Then laid down and closed his eyes and went to sleep. Several hours later Sesshoumaru awoke with sweat dripping from his body and his heart racing.
Sesshoumaru's Dream
The miko was standing in front of him wearing a short outfit looking at something when she turned and faced him.
"Sesshoumaru, why are you here? When Inuyasha will sense you and come and..." She was cut off when he moved forward and raised her chin with his right hand and looked into her eyes.
"Let him come!" He whispered as he seized her lips with his as he lowered his hand and wrapped his arm around her to draw her body closer to his then trailing his hand down her body till his hand came into contact with the heated center between her legs. As he broke the kiss trailing kisses down the left side of her neck till he stopped where her neck joined her shoulder and he started licking as his fangs grew.
End of Sesshoumaru's Dream
"Why am I dreaming of that human miko? What has she done to this Sesshoumaru? And why does this dream effect my body so?" Sesshoumaru spoke to himself openly. Since it was almost sun rise he got up off the futon grabbed his swords then walked to his closet and grabbed a fresh yukata and headed to the hot spring to bathe. After bathing he got dressed in his yukata then put on his armor and swords. As he walked to the hot spring door and opened it and heading to his study he got a strong whiff of spring rain and honeysuckle. He did not detect the miko. So he started walking again and again he smelt the scent. Then it dawned on him to smell the yukata that he was wearing. Low and behold he was wearing the yukata that still had the scent of the miko on it.
Kaede's Hut
Kaede had returned from helping a woman give birth to a new born son and was now cooking something for breakfast for everyone. When everyone started waking up.
"Morning, Kaede! How's the new mother?" Sango asked.
"She and the child are doing fine and a good morning to ye! Now all of ye come eat for in these old bones sense that ye all be traveling hard!" After they had all had their fill of breakfast they all went outside and started to walk out of the village north. About an hour out of the village and still no sign of any shards.
"Any shards yet?" Inuyasha demanded to know.
"NO!" Kagome answered.
"What good is a jewel detector if a jewel detector can't sense any shards and are useless in anything else?" Inuyasha bit out.
"Well, has your lover Kikyo sensed any shards? If not she must be useless as well in that department and overly experienced in others!" Kagome mouthed off. When Kirara looked up into the sky growling.
"Look over there, Naraku's poison insects. That could only mean three things. Either it's Naraku's puppet, or offspring or minions, or it's a trap to lure us!" Miroku said.
"That means a chance for more shards." Inuyasha said and he ran into the woods where the insects were hovering and not taking into consideration that it could be a trap. As everyone looked at each other and shrugged and ran after the hanyou. When they reached the woods where Inuyasha was they saw Kagura.
"Kagura, where's Naraku?" Inuyasha yelled as he had Kikyo get off his back.
"Why hanyou are you that anxious to die that much faster!" Then she turned and faced Kikyo. "So, you did escape Naraku. No matter Naraku sent me to kill you!" Kagura opened her fan when Inuyasha came charging towards her.
"You're not going to touch her!" He said pulling out a transformed tetsusaiga.
"You think you can harm me, the wind sorceress? Think again. Dance of Blades." Kagura called out as she closed her fan.
"Inuyasha, watch out!" Kagome yelled as she ran forward notching a arrow ready to fire when a sickle with a long chain came shooting out from behind a tree and hitting her bow and it splintered into pieces.
"Kirara, protect Kagome!" Sango shouted. Kagura seeing that this fight was not going anywhere pulled a feather out of her hair and had it turn into a bigger size as she and kohaku got on the feather and was lifted to the sky saying "We are not through with this!" After they were gone Sango, Miroku, Shippou and Inuyasha came over to Kagome.
"Kagome, are you all right? Are you hurt?" Sango asked as Kagome sat there stunned that her bow was in splinters. "Kagome, are you alright?" Sango laid her hand on Kagome's shoulder.
"Yes, I'm alright! But my bow is broken and without it I can't fight. I'm sorry, guys." Kagome said sadly. "Even though, I'm not that good of a fighter that is."
"Nothing doing, Kagome! You're alright that's all that matters that and you tried to protect me by warning me. So we have to make a trip back to the village to get you a new bow. No big deal." Then Inuyasha turned towards the way to the village then turned his head to Kagome as Kikyo got on his back "Though, I still think your useless half the time."
"Yeah, well remind me next time not to try and save you!" Kagome said as she climbed onto Kirara with Sango, Miroku, and Shippou as Inuyasha leapt to a tree heading back to the village.
Sesshoumaru's Castle
All morning Sesshoumaru was in his study trying to do his daily scrolls and documents but kept getting disturbed with scenes from his dream kept playing over and over in his mind and remembering the way her hand was soft and warm touching his skin the day he took Kagome back to her friends. The scene of how her light pink lips looked to be both warm and soft as well as extremely appealing as well as the way her neck was exposed to him and smelling the scent of spring rain and honeysuckle did not help matters any
So he decided to take a break from his duties and joined Rin and Jaken in the garden. They were playing a game that Kagome taught Rin called as tag. Sesshoumaru just sat down under a magnolia when his ward noticed him and ran up to him.
"Sesshoumaru-sama! Rin's having fun playing game Kagome-chan teaches her. It's called tag." Rin said.
"Where's Jaken?" Sesshoumaru asked.
"He's hiding from Rin." Rin looked around. "Sesshoumaru-sama's sitting under same tree that he and Kagome-chan were sitting under about to kiss! Why did Sesshoumaru-sama not kiss Kagome-chan? Is she not pretty enough for Sesshoumaru-sama? Does Sesshoumaru-sama not like Kagome-chan?" Rin looked at Sesshoumaru.
"Rin there's much that's difficult to explain. Kagome is beautiful for a human female but." Sesshoumaru stopped right at that.
"Does Sesshoumaru-sama even want to kiss her or try? Rin thinks that Sesshoumaru-sama and Kagome-chan looks pretty together." Rin stood up and gave Sesshoumaru a hug around his neck and started to leave. "Rin needs to find Jaken." Sesshoumaru nodded and pointed to a bush between two trees. Rin's face lite up. Then she ran towards the bush.
"You're it now Jaken!" Rin said as she pounced onto Jaken. After seeing his ward pounce onto Jaken then Sesshoumaru went back to his study.